INVALID PENSIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21881, 17 August 1934, Page 13

INVALID PENSIONS

FINANCIAL BARRIER COST IF INTRODUCED OVER £1,000,000 A YEAR [by telegraph—press association] WELLINGTON. Thursday The second reading of his Invalid Pensions Bill was moved in the House of Representatives to-night by Mr. J. O'Brien (Labour —Westland). Air. Speaker said tlie bill would be formally ruled out of order as it involved an appropriation, but it was" agreed that the second reading d'sclission should be held.

Mr. O'Brien said the bill was based on the Australian Act, under which every invalid received a pension of £1 a week, which was later reduced to ,17s Gd. What Australia could do, New Zealand could also do. There was nothing to prevent New Zealand looking after her invalids.

Mr. A. J. Stallworthy (Independent —Eden) approved of the general piincipies of tho bill. Mr. C. H. G'linkard (Government- — Rotoru.a) said he was in sympathy with the measure, but it could not be given eifect to in the meantime. He said pensions payments had steadily increased since they were introduced, which showed that New Zealand had not lost sympathy with those in need. The Hon. J. G. Cobbe. Minister of Pensions, said he was sure all members hail a great deal of sympathy for invalids. He thought it had to be admitted that on the whole Mew Zealand had not; done badly. It would be a dangerous thing ,to interfere with present pensions and substitute something else. Lf pensions were given to all invalids as soon as they arrived in the country. New Zealand would become the most popular country in the world, and would bo a refuge for invalids. A certain amount of common sense had to be used in adminstering such matters.

He considered there were other pensions more deserving of consideration than invalid pensions and be was having inquiries made regarding them. Ono of the matters exercising attention was the giving of extra assistance to disabled soldiers. With Australian figures as a basis, where the proportion was one invalid pension to 2.42 old age pensions, more than 14,000 invalid pensions would be payable in New Zealand. That would cost £728,000, and that did not take into account the wives and children of invalids. That provision would brine the figure to over £1,000,000. One's sympathy had to be tempered by the means at one's disposal. The total pensions paid last year in New Zealand amounted to £3,149.895, or £118,114 more than the previous year. That was equal to £629 daily. If the bill were passed, the payments would be more than £106,000 daily, without making provision for the wives and children of invalids. He did not think it could be said that New Zealand was not doing as much as was reasonably possible. The debate was interrupted by the rising of the House.

FACTORY DEVELOPMENT NEW MANUFACTURES LARGER SHARE OF MARKET [BV TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL, REPORTERI WELLINGTON. Thursday "The raising of the rate of exchange, which was originally done for the purpose of benefiting the Bominion's primary producers, has also been of considerable advantage to Jsew Zealand manufacturers, in that it has increased the landed cost of imported goods, thereby enabling locally-manu-factured goods to secure a larger share of the market," observes the annual report of the Labour Department, which was tabled in the House to-day. "It is anticipated from the registrations . that have so far been effected for the present year that the beneficial results observed during last year will be more than maintained' during the coming year so far as factory employment is concerned. "The establishment of the following new industries during the past year may also be regarded as an indication of the improved tone of manufacturing in the Dominion: —Rujbberware manufacturing, flax wool pack and textile manufacturing, vacuum packing of primary produce, eel-canning, manufacture of wooden matches, manufacture of dry cell batteries, refining of crude oil into various grades of lubricating oil, and preparation of ethyl petrol."